Wooden club head

ABSTRACT

A wooden club head includes a thin body component and a thin faceplate component. The thin body component has a front engaging opening, a crown, a sidewall, and a sole. The thin faceplate component is coupled with the front engaging opening of the thin body component to form the wooden club head. The thin body component and the thin faceplate component are made of steel alloy having a specific gravity between 6.0 g/cm 3  and 10.0 g/cm 3 . The thin body component has a thickness between 0.25 mm and 0.8 mm, and the thin faceplate component has a thickness between 1.5 mm and 3.0 mm. The wooden club head has an overall volume between 380 cc and 500 cc and an overall weight between 180 g and 220 g.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a combination of a golf club head and, more particularly, to a wooden club head having a plurality of components made of steel material to increase the volume of the club head under a preset overall weight limitation of the club head.

2. Description of Related Art

Taiwan Utility Model No. M283662 discloses a large golf club head including a steel body 7, a light cover 8, and a light faceplate 9, as shown in FIG. 1. The steel body 7 is made of metal or alloy with a high specific gravity, such as stainless steel, carbon steel, low-carbon steel, and alloy steel. The light cover 8 and the light faceplate 9 are respectively attached to a top opening 71 and a front opening 72 of the body 7 to form a golf club head. The steel body 7 further has a neck 73 on a side thereof.

The light cover 8 and the light faceplate 9 are made of light, composite plates such as carbon fiber plates and have a specific gravity smaller than 6.0 g/cm³. In assembly, the light cover 8 and the light faceplate 9 are coupled to the openings 71 and 72 by welding, brazing, forcible insertion, or bonding. The light cover 8 and the light faceplate 9 utilizing reinforced material reduce the overall weight of the golf club head so that the overall volume of the golf club head can be relatively increased. Furthermore, the light cover 8 and the light faceplate 9 reduce the weight of the golf club head in the upper portion and the front portion while the steel body 7 increases the weight of the golf club head in the bottom portion and in the rear portion. Thus, the center of gravity of the golf club head can be adjusted downward and rearward to enhance the striking characteristics.

However, the light material of the light cover 8 and the light faceplate 9 is different from the material of the steel body 7 such that the light cover 8 and the light faceplate 9 must be manufactured separately from the steel body 7. Namely, the light components cannot be directly formed on the steel body 7, leading to high manufacturing costs and low assembling tolerance. Furthermore, the golf club head made of different materials has reduced resonance frequency between the materials, adversely affecting the quality of the sound generated during striking.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a wooden club head including a plurality of components that are preformed by steel alloy. Each component has a thickness between 0.25 mm and 0.8 mm or between 1.5 mm and 3.0 mm such that the overall volume of the club head can be increased under the preset overall weight limitation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a wooden club head including a plurality of components each having a specific gravity between 6 g/cm³ and 10 g/cm³ such that the overall volume of the club head can be increased to a range between 380 cc and 500 cc under the preset overall weight limitation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To achieve the aforementioned objects, the present invention provides a wooden club head including a thin body component and a thin faceplate component. The thin body component has a front engaging opening, a crown, a sidewall, and a sole. The thin faceplate component is coupled with the front engaging opening of the thin body component to form the wooden club head. The thin body component and the thin faceplate component are made of steel alloy having a specific gravity between 6.0 g/cm³ and 10.0 g/cm³. The thin body component has a thickness between 0.25 mm and 0.8 mm, and the thin faceplate component has a thickness between 1.5 mm and 3.0 mm. The wooden club head has an overall volume between 380 cc and 500 cc and an overall weight between 180 g and 220 g.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of this invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional wooden golf club head.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a wooden club head of a first embodiment in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the wooden club head of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a wooden club head of a second embodiment in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the wooden club head of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a wooden club head of a third embodiment in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of the wooden club head of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, a wooden club head of a first embodiment in accordance with the present invention includes a thin body component 1 and a thin faceplate component 2 coupled to a front side of the thin body component 1 to form a two-piece type golf club head. The thin body component 1 and the thin faceplate component 2 are made of steel alloy such as stainless steel (e.g., 17-4PH stainless steel), martensite steel, carbon steel, low-carbon steel, alloy steel, low-alloy steel, structural steel, super alloy steel or a combination thereof. The thickness W1 of the thin body component 1 is preferably between 0.25 mm and 0.8 mm. The thickness W2 of the thin faceplate component 2 is preferably between 1.5 mm and 3.0 mm.

The thin body component 1 includes a front engaging opening 11, a crown 12, a sidewall 13, a sole 14, and a front abutting face 15. The front engaging opening 11 is formed on the front side of the thin body component 1 for coupling with the thin faceplate component 2. The thin body component 1 is formed by punching or casting to integrally form the crown 12, the sidewall 13, and the sole 14. The front abutting face 15 is formed at the front edge of the thin body component 1 and extends along the crown 12, the sidewall 13, and the sole 14 to support the thin faceplate component 2.

The thin faceplate component 2 is formed in a bowl shape by punching or casting and includes a striking face 21 for striking a golf ball, a bend 22, a stepped portion 23, and a neck 24. The bend 22 is formed by bending a perimeter rearward of the striking face, and the stepped portion 23 is formed on a free end of the bend 22 so that the stepped portion 23 can be coupled to the front abutting face 15 of the thin body component 1. The neck 24 is formed on a side of a top portion of the thin faceplate component 2, and a shaft (not shown) can be inserted into the neck 24.

In assembly, the stepped portion 23 of the thin faceplate component 2 is coupled with the front abutting face 15 of the thin body component 1 by welding to form the two-piece type golf club head. Since the thickness W1 of the thin body component 1 is not greater than 0.8 mm and since the thickness W2 of the thin faceplate component 2 is not greater than 3.0 mm, mini pulse plasma welding is used to avoid melting and deformation of the thin body component 1 and the thin faceplate component 2 during welding and to enhance the welding quality of the golf club head. However, brazing, forcible insertion, or bonding also can be used to couple the thin body component 1 with the thin faceplate component 2 according to product demands. Thus, the overall volume of the club head of the present invention can be increased to a range between 380 cc and 500 cc under the limitation of a predetermined overall weight that is controlled between 180 g and 220 g. Since the thin body component 1 and the thin faceplate component 2 are made of steel alloy, the quality and liquidity of the sound generated during striking are enhanced.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show a wooden club head of a second embodiment of the present invention. Compared to the first embodiment, the thin body component 1 of the second embodiment is comprised of a thin crown component 16 and a thin sole component 17. The thin crown component 16 is coupled to a top side of the thin sole component 17 and forming the crown 12, which is shown in FIG. 1, of the thin body component 1. And the thin sole component 17 below the thin crown component 16 forms the sidewall 13 and the sole 14, which are also shown in FIG. 1, of the thin body component 1. Furthermore, the thin crown component 16 includes a front engaging face 161 and a coupling skirt 162. The front engaging face 161 is formed on a front edge of the thin crown component 16, and the coupling skirt 162 extends along a bottom edge of the thin crown component 16. Further, the thin faceplate component 2 in the second embodiment has no stepped portion 23 but has a rear coupling face 25.

The thin sole component 17 includes a top engaging opening 171 on the top side thereof and a front engaging opening 172 on a front side thereof. A top engaging face 173 and a front engaging face 174 are respectively formed on the top side and the front side of the thin sole component 17. In particular, the top engaging face 173 extends along a perimeter of the top engaging opening 171, and the front engaging face 174 is formed on the front edge of the thin sole component 17 and extends along a perimeter of the front engaging opening 172.

In assembly, the thin crown component 16 covers the top engaging opening 171 of the thin sole component 17, and the coupling skirt 162 of the thin crown component 16 is then coupled with the top engaging face 173 of the thin sole component 17 by welding, brazing, forcible insertion, or bonding to form the thin body component 1. Next, the rear coupling face 25 of the thin faceplate component 2 is coupled with the front engaging face 161 of the thin crown component 16 and the front engaging face 174 of the thin sole component 17 by welding, brazing, forcible insertion, or bonding to form a three-piece type golf club head. Thus, the overall volume of the golf club head can be increased under the preset overall weight limitation while the assembling tolerances of the golf club head is increased.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show a wooden club head of a third embodiment of the present invention. Compared to the second embodiment, most part of the bend 22 of the thin faceplate component 2 is omitted in the third embodiment. In particular, only a portion of the bend 22 adjacent to the neck 24 is kept to reinforce the structural strength of the neck 24. Furthermore, the thin crown component 16 includes an opening 163 on a side corresponding to the neck 24 of the thin faceplate component 2 for receiving the neck 24 when the thin faceplate component 2 is coupled with the thin body component 1. Thus, the overall volume of the golf club head can be increased under the preset overall weight limitation while the assembling tolerances of the golf club head is increased.

While the principles of this invention have been disclosed in connection with specific embodiments, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that these descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the invention, and that any modification and variation without departing the spirit of the invention is intended to be covered by the scope of this invention defined only by the appended claims. 

1. A wooden club head comprising: a thin body component including a front engaging opening, a crown, a sidewall, and a sole; and a thin faceplate component coupled with the front engaging opening of the thin body component to form the wooden club head, with the thin body component and the thin faceplate component being made of steel alloy having a specific gravity between 6.0 g/cm³ and 10.0 g/cm³, with the thin body component having a thickness between 0.25 mm and 0.8 mm, with the thin faceplate component having a thickness between 1.5 mm and 3.0 mm, with the wooden club head having a volume between 380 cc and 500 cc, and with the wooden club head having an overall weight between 180 g and 220 g.
 2. The wooden club head as claimed in claim 1, with the thin faceplate component being coupled with the thin body component by one of mini pulse plasma welding, brazing, forcible insertion, and bonding.
 3. The wooden club head as claimed in claim 1, with the thin faceplate component being formed by punching or casing.
 4. The wooden club head as claimed in claim 1, with the thin faceplate component being formed in a bowl shape.
 5. The wooden club head as claimed in claim 1, with the thin faceplate component being made of steel alloy, wherein the steel alloy is stainless steel, martensite steel, carbon steel, low-carbon steel, alloy steel, low-alloy steel, structural steel, super alloy steel or a combination thereof.
 6. The wooden club head as claimed in claim 5, with the stainless steel being 17-4PH stainless steel.
 7. The wooden club head as claimed in claim 1, with the thin body component being formed by punching or casing.
 8. The wooden club head as claimed in claim 1, with the thin body component being made of steel alloy, wherein the steel alloy is stainless steel, martensite steel, carbon steel, low-carbon steel, alloy steel, low-alloy steel, structural steel, super alloy steel or a combination thereof.
 9. The wooden club head as claimed in claim 8, with the stainless steel being 17-4PH stainless steel.
 10. The wooden club head as claimed in claim 1, with the thin body component being comprised of a thin crown component and a thin sole component, with the thin crown component being coupled on a top side of the thin sole component, with the thin crown component forming the crown of the thin body component, and with the thin sole component forming the sidewall and the sole of the thin body component.
 11. The wooden club head as claimed in claim 10, with the thin crown component being coupled with the thin sole component by one of mini pulse plasma welding, brazing, forcible insertion, and bonding.
 12. The wooden club head as claimed in claim 10, with the thin crown component being formed by punching or casing.
 13. The wooden club head as claimed in claim 10, with the thin crown component being made of steel alloy, wherein the steel alloy is stainless steel, martensite steel, carbon steel, low-carbon steel, alloy steel, low-alloy steel, structural steel, super alloy steel or a combination thereof.
 14. The wooden club head as claimed in claim 13, with the stainless steel being 17-4PH stainless steel.
 15. The wooden club head as claimed in claim 10, with the thin sole component being formed by punching or casing.
 16. The wooden club head as claimed in claim 10, with the thin sole component being made of steel alloy, wherein the steel alloy is stainless steel, martensite steel, carbon steel, low-carbon steel, alloy steel, low-alloy steel, structural steel, super alloy steel or a combination thereof.
 17. The wooden club head as claimed in claim 16, with the stainless steel being 17-4PH stainless steel.
 18. The wooden club head as claimed in claim 10, with the thin crown component including a coupling skirt, wherein the coupling skirt extends along a bottom edge of the thin crown component. 